We gather together.
I.
Only days past the summer solstice, the sun
slides towards the horizon, but refuses to lessen its intensity.
Sun-glow settles on this gathering of family and friends.Barest of breezes waft a flutter through overhead branches.
Leaf-shadows dance on the gazebo’s roof, on the white slatted chairs in rows
and rose petals are strewn on the stone path.II.
We gather to celebrate the marriage of this couple.
The young man – our son, brother, nephew, grandson, cousin.
A loyal friend, one who offers a kind word and a helping hand to all in need.The young woman – our daughter, grand-daughter, sister, niece, cousin.
A confidante, a true friend, loving teacher of the youngest children.Hazy heat-waves rise from the dry grasses.
Bumblebees seek nectar in the nearby spiraea
and ignore the processional of satin red dresses and black tuxedos.The groom waits in the shade of the gazebo.
The bride comes forward on her father’s arm.III.
Time lengthens. It sharpens our memories,
intensifies our awareness, focuses our senses.
Vows are read, repeated.We listen. They promise to love, respect, and be there for each other —
as best friends and wanderers – together – on this life journey.We stand together, in affirmation, as Jeff and Sara pledge their love to each other,
each of us a witness to their promises, to their joy, to their love.We watch as they each, in turn, slide a ring on their partner’s finger,
a symbol of their eternal love.
They whisper the words, “With this ring, I Thee wed.”We celebrate with laughter, cheers, and good wishes:
the couple is introduced.Mr. and Mrs.
Husband and Wife.
Best of friends.
IV.
Congratulations, Sara and Jeff.
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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Bo left her camera at home yesterday, as Sherpa and she attended the wedding of their son. Later, Bo wrote this wedding day poem.
This is my photo-heart connection photo for June. I took this photo a couple of days ago as my son was showing me the wedding ring he was giving his June 30th bride. How could I choose anything else….
With This Ring . . . I Thee Wed
Three Coneflowers
We all walk in mysteries. We do not know what is stirring in the atmosphere that surrounds us. ~ Goethe
As I hurry about, I continue to cross off wedding items on my brain list — press dress, pick up extra chairs, need to make lunch for nine, let’s see, rehearsal is at 4, better leave at 3, remember Highway 32 closed at Green Crossing, need to detour, pack the sunscreen and sun hats, and water, bring water bottles, gonna be near 100˚, need to wrap the present yet . . .
It was a gift of calming to take my early morning walk, and think about the beauty of these nearly wilted coneflowers, still growing, still filled with a wabi-sabi beauty as they grow in the midst of a drought. Time moves on, moment by moment.
There is beauty all around us. Beauty in the many mysteries we walk through on a daily basis. Beauty in the many actions we plan and accomplish. Beauty and love in the end product.
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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Bo is finally watching the clock. Son’s wedding countdown as of this posting: 30 hours. 🙂
The Golden Hour
Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven. ~ Rabindranath Tagore
Spending this week with family and friends, but I still wish to share a photo a day with you of my walk around Stricker’s Pond. I walked in the evening a few days ago, and the tree trunks caught the light from the setting sun.
This time of day is the golden hour in photography parlance — easy to understand why!
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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is balancing wedding plans and photography this week while enjoying both.
Hollyhock in Profile
I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. ~ William Shakespeare
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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is currently balancing wedding week and photography, while appreciating the wonder of both.
Seeing the Great Blue Heron, Unexpectedly
. . . when I am out searching, I never have a set idea of what it is I’m looking for. I simply seek, and occasionally I find exactly what it is I wasn’t searching for. ~ Jeff T. Alu
I’ve never considered myself much of a birdwatcher, and I had little interest in taking photos of birds in the first years I explored with a camera. I always enjoyed watched a shorebird circle the pond, the rhythm of its wing stroke powerful yet graceful. I enjoyed the sandhill cranes, especially when they were quite a novelty. The resurgence of their numbers makes the sandhills a more common occurrence, but still provides a moment of joy, seeing them healthy and often with their chicks by their sides. And I have always loved listening to the sounds of the forest and prairie song birds, their music varied and always a surprise because I seldom can make a strong connection between song and specific bird.
And now on my morning walks I see a variety of birds from the heron family — great blue herons, white egrets, and the little green heron. I returned on a late afternoon, alone, just me and my camera, to see what I might see. The lake was eerily quiet — only a few wood ducks and their babies were swimming along one shore. It had been a hot day and so I speculated the birds were keeping themselves cool in a shady spot.
While walking through the oak forest, I chanced to look up into the trees in an open space in the woods. The outlined branches of a dead tree against the deep blue sky caught my eye, and I was evaluating the textures and shapes, the lighting. Suddenly my eye caught a movement in the branches. This great blue heron stretched her s – shaped neck, twisted it, and then snuggled back into her roosting position. I was mesmerized.
I didn’t have the lens I would have preferred, but I made do with my 50 mm prime. Many shots later, after I had amassed a healthy number of bird-roosting-on-branch shots, I watched as the heron stretched its neck again, made a slight dip with her body, similar to the movement of a human diver on a spring-board, and then she flung herself into the air in an explosion of feathers and flapping wings. What a marvelous sight.
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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is falling in love with the beautiful herons she sees as she walks in her neighborhood!





